


The Town

by SV_Writer



Category: Original Work
Genre: Belly Kink, Blood, Gore, Horror, Macabre, Other, Vore, Yuri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-25
Updated: 2019-10-30
Packaged: 2020-05-19 13:55:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19358341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SV_Writer/pseuds/SV_Writer
Summary: This story contains vore, gore, abuse and assault.Lemme know your thoughts~





	1. The Demon

**Author's Note:**

> This story contains vore, gore, abuse and assault.   
> Lemme know your thoughts~

The fire hurt her skin.

She clawed through the sharp gravel, silently looking for something to eat, as the other smaller demons around her did the same. Hunger was not a rarity to her or others of her "class". She didn’t bother looking at any of them. She knew they were only doing the same as her.

She paused, when she felt something soft touch the tip of her finger, before pushing the bits of glass and stone to the side, revealing the tiny squirming grub on the ground.

_Oh… Oh…_

It was white, and soft. Almost completely featureless, but it was plump. She felt a thin line of spittle drip from her mouth, as she gently cupped it in her hands. White grubs were rare. They tasted good. If she could sell it, she might get enough to by a dozen black grubs…

The idea of being able to eat for twelve full days felt like heaven... As ironic as that was...

She slowly stood up on shaky legs, stumbling through the mass of demons, who were searching like her. There was the occasional crunch, as a demon found and ate a grub, but that didn’t concern her. Dreams floated through her mind.

Dreams of food.

Of rest.

Of blissful sleep.

If she sold it, she could do all of that. For a few days, she wouldn’t have to cut her hands and legs on the sharp, glassy rocks. For a few days… she could be at ease…

She could feel a rare smile build on her thin face, as she began to move faster. Maybe… maybe she could keep the grub. Raise it a bit. Fatten it up. She’d get a better price… More money, meant more food. If she could find another grub, she could breed them… start a little farm…

Then she could hire the little imps, goblins, willow-wisps and succubi to do her digging…

This could be a sign! A sign for a new beginning! Hope was beginning to shine-  
  


“Well, what are you doing, little succubus?”

The thick gravelly voice emerged from behind her. She stiffened and turned, staring up at the massive demon grinning down at her, “You seem eager to get somewhere.”

“N-No… No…”

“No, what?”

“N-No… sir…”

The Demon chuckled, “ ‘No, you’re not eager to get somewhere’, or ‘No, please don’t eat me.’? ”

“A-ah… N-No… P-Please… d-don’t…”

“Don't eat you. yeah, I got it.”

“Ah…”

“Well, don’t worry, I’m not going to eat you. I was just feeling a bit horny right now.”

“Ah…”, She felt herself step back unconsciously.

“So, I’m rather happy that you’re here.”, He took a step closer and gripped her neck, softly, “So, why don’t you come with me, hm?”

“N-No… P-Please…”

“You don’t really have a choice, do you?”

She let out a pained wail, as he gripped her arm and pulled it behind her back, snapping bones that offered no resistance, before doing the same to her other arm, and letting them both dangle limply. She felt the white grub slip from her hands and fall to the ground.

_No!_

She tried to reach it weakly, but she felt her body being dragged away by the Demon, “Let’s go somewhere a bit more fun, eh?”

*

She felt weak pathetic squeals burst from her mouth, as the Demon Overlord continued to thrust in and out, brutishly. Her body was damp with sweat and blood. The burns over her face, still sizzled softly. Her present blindness did nothing to improve her condition.

_It hurts… it hurts… please… stop…_

She could feel the bits of her bones, grating against each other, causing smaller fragments to chip away within her body. She could feel her own bones tearing at her muscles from the inside, as she was used like a rag-doll.

_it hurts…_

She felt him cum in her ass for the umpteenth time, and once again, she felt the cum burst out of her mouth, like a fountain. The foul flavour mingled with the acid from her belly. She would have thrown up, if she could anymore. She groaned softly, as the Demon finally released her, dropping her limp, broken form onto the ground.

_…hurts…_

“Haa… You succubi are too rare these days. Hiding in the dirt with all those imps… We should really round you all up...”

Indeed; Most others of her kind had hidden in the underground burrows of Imps, Goblins and other weaker demons; Demons who's individual strength was unimpressive, but who's numbers were to be wary off. It was to these demons that Succubi gave up their bodies and free-will to, in exchange for the promise of safety and shelter.

She was not an exception in that desire. She wanted to stay in those burrows. She wanted safety. She was willing to give up her body to those imps and foul ground-dwellers. At least, they would not snap her bones and burn her flesh. She had even heard that some of them were kind. The problem was her body; she was big. Bigger than normal succubi, but smaller than the Warrior class. A freak; In-between. Half-breed and Half-breeds scared the weaker demons, even if they were barely much stronger.

Her body doomed her to this life; This life of pain.

“Hrm… Let’s continue, eh?”

_No… please…_

“Nysroghelli!”

The Demon stopped short of shoving his cock in her, before frowning and glancing to the side, “Lady Trish…”

A short, plump demon placed her hands on her hips, as she glared at the Overlord with a smug aura, “Mother, wants you for a fight.”

The Demon grinned maliciously, “Another bitch for my belly?”

“Yeah. Leave that thing and let’s go.”

He narrowed his eyes at Short Demon, before raising the broken figure by one leg, as she squealed, “Oh? You don’t pity her? Isn’t your mother a succubus? Isn’t this your sister?”

“Not all Succubi are related, dipshit. And my mom’s different; She's a Queen and that thing’s just an ugly half-breed. Fuck, eat it if you want, but you better not fill up before the fight. It’s a big one apparently.”

“A big meal?”

“Yeah. At least half a dozen girls. Mother wanted something sexy and bloody, and I agreed.”

“Hrm… Yes, best not to fill up on useless meat...” He dropped the broken figure carelessly, “Well, lead the way then.”

The Short demon glanced at the broken, bleeding form on the ground for a few seconds before smirking, turning and walking away, leaving it to heal ever so slowly.

*

She glanced through the sharp dirt around her, blinking weakly from healed eyes that were adjusting to their new world.

_Where… where is it?_

She was positive, it fell around her. The White grub... Her White grub… The hunger felt worse then ever. The idea of what she had lost was weighing in the pit of stomach. Her arms were still broken but mending slowly. Foul cum, still dripped from the corners of her mouth, and bloated her belly. It didn’t make her feel full. It just made her sick.

_Where…_

She knew. She knew she’d never find it. It was expected. These things happened. Luck favoured the strong in Hell. Weak demons were relegated to weakness; That would never change.

Things would never change…

She felt her body go limp with hunger, collapsing into the dirt, feeling it cut into her skin. Her body was aching so much, she didn’t feel pain from the cuts. She wondered if she'd die. Death from hunger was rare. Demons were resilient and needed little sustenance, but they did need something...

Her mind drifted back to her last meal. When was it… At least seven nights ago. Two black grubs. Oh, they were… Disgusting, actually. Relatively foul. But there was the undeniable pleasure of cramming solid food into one's mouth.   
  
She could see the town lights out of the corner of her eyes. She heard that the Demons of the town ate three meals a day. Fresh meat and wine and blood. She heard that even the slaves had one meal a day... She felt her mouth water, as tears leaked from her eyes. Slaves were treated with more respect that her... She was just unlucky. Born that way and she'd die that way.   
  
She didn’t want this. Any of this. She just wanted a safe home. Some food. Some sleep… She just…   
  
She just…

She closed her eyes and let the dangerous embrace of sleep claim her, gently.   
  


Dreams were rare in hell. Dreaming was risky. Dreams were kind views of possibility. Of hope.

What she had was a nightmare.

She felt her heart being stabbed with a blade of ice. She felt her horns stabbing her eyes, as she looked on in horror. She felt her skin burn off from the most terrible cold. She saw a dark-skinned monster grinned down at her, with love. A black monster crying. A twisted soul raging. A fallen god laughing. The world was dying, and there was no stopping it. Death came for everything. 

The world spun, as she felt her body being pulled into the sky, torn by the pressure.

Blades severed her limbs.

Metal burned her bones. She was being crushed! Crushed!!  
  


She screamed.  
  


She screamed.  
  


She screamed.  
  


Then she blinked.

Acrid smoke rose around her, as she felt the heat die away.  _Ah… Ah…_

“Damn… She looks like a tough…”

“No, wait… Look at her horns. And her forehead.”

“What’s that?”

“That’s the mark of an un-owned; A bottom-feeder. She's got no master... And her horns… She’s a Succubus. Dammit, Succubi are useless to us. Summon another.”  
“Can't. Gotta wait for a bit...”

The voices were strange. Softer than she was used to. She let out a soft moan, as she tried to move. Her arms… Her arms felt better. Her eyes didn't feel so raw anymore. She must have passed out, while her body healed… She placed her palms against the ground and blinked once.

_Soft… and dry…_

She rubbed her fingers against the strange powder.

_…Smells burnt… Ash?_

Ash was usually hot… But this was one… Was soft… and it was becoming cooler. It felt... Nice? She had no idea that ash could feel so soothing... She blinked again. The air wasn’t hot either. It was hot before, but it was getting cooler too… She breathed deep. Deeper than she generally cared to. And it didn’t burn her.

For the first time, she could feel the air massage her body, like some gentle caress.

_Ohh…_

“What do we do about her, then?”

“…We can't kill her. Succubi are too resilient. Just... Keep her on the side. Maybe, she can be of some use to us. later”

“Uh…”

“Idiot. Cast an immobility spell. We don't want her running away.”

She winced as her body suddenly went rigid. It didn’t hurt. It was just uncomfortable. And even that discomfort was fleeting. What was this new environment? So… cool and gentle. It didn’t hurt. Nothing hurt. Her scars didn’t sting from hot, acid-like air. It just felt… like nothing. Soft, sweet nothing.

Her mind drifted. She had to figure out where she was. This obviously wasn’t Hell. She couldn’t hear the fire. Or the screams. She couldn’t smell the blood, shit and sweat. Her skin wasn’t being cut by everything.

Maybe it was Heaven? She wasn’t sure what Heaven looked like. It was supposed to be better than Hell, though. This was better than Hell...

_Heaven, huh?_

She wondered why she was here. There were those strange voices, from around her. They didn’t sound like Demons… Were they Angels? There were supposed to be Angels in Heaven. But Angels were supposed to dislike demons and these voices didn't seem to dislike her. Whatever they were, she didn’t understand them. Did they bring her here? She couldn’t move. Did they do that? They weren’t hurting her…

She felt her eyelids droop. Exhaustion was weighing over her body. For the first time, she felt tired, and there was nothing to stop her from embracing it. No terrible pain. No torture. No rape. Nothing to be afraid off. She didn't have to pass out from pain... She swallowed softly and let her body go limp, losing herself to sleep.

Dreams were rare. Dreaming was risky. Dreams were kind views of possibility. Of hope.

She dreamed a dream.

She was flying. Flying above Hell. She could see all of them. Imps. Goblins. Will-o-wisps. Inncubi. Succubi. Overlords. Pythius. Maligenii. Gremori.

All of them. Raping. Killing. Eating. Digging.

Living their tortured lives.

Even the ones enjoying themselves suffered. Knowing how they could fall at any second. How they could become the weak.

She watched them all, floating in such sweet bliss.

Then she felt it.

A dark anger.

Approaching.

A dark anger tainted with a terrible bloodlust. Fear tore into her. A greater fear than she had ever known.

This… this was…

She opened her eyes.

The Anger was still there. It was real. So terribly real.

_Oh… Oh no…_

She could feel it come closer. She could feel it slaughter. It didn't care. It was angry. Someone had done something it disliked. They had. They ones who had brought Her to this unfamiliar place. They had displeased this anger. They had displeased the Anger by summoning her. They were dead now.   
  
And the Anger was coming closer.   
  
She tried to move. Still stuck.

It was coming closer.

And Closer.

And-

“…Are you the only thing they summoned?”

She blinked at the voice. A demon. A female. She sounded so powerful. Who was it? A Lucifer? A Satan? One of the Maou? An Asura? A Raksasa? She felt stronger than all of them.

“Can you understand me?”

The Voice changed. Still speaking the Demon language but a different dialect now. She tried to speak, until she remembered, she couldn't move. The Voice seemed to notice that.  

“…Ah, you can’t move, can you? One moment…”

She could feel that presence… That voice come closer. She heard the voice speak softly. The air moved around her. She felt the invisible force holding her down, vanish, and she fell limp with a soft ‘oof!’

“Now… Are you the only  _thing_  they summoned?”

She blinked a few times, her eyes trying to focus on the figure before her… It was somewhat short. Distinctly female. Her skin had a golden-brown quality to it, and her hair was messy and mid-length. Her eyes were small and narrow, with a natural glare, that sent chills down her spin.

“I… I don’t know.”

“Hm. You know, it’d be in your best interest to tell me everything you know.”

“I… I don’t know… anything…”

“…You’re a succubus, aren’t you?”

She nodded softly.

“You’re a bit big for one, aren’t you?”

“I’m… I am a half-breed.”

“Ah. You were brought up here by accident then.”

“I don’t…?”

“No, I don’t expect you to understand… I suppose it was good that you’re the one who was summoned and not one of those violent fools.”

“…”

“Yes. Well, there’s no point in dwelling on it. I should send you back now.”

“W-what?”

“Well, I can’t have you running amok, near my… project. You’d ruin everything. And I’d feel bad killing you, considering you didn’t choose to come here yourself.”

“No… I… Please don’t…”

“Please don’t, what?”

“Don’t… send me back… I… I can breathe here… My skin isn’t bleeding… I could sleep… It’s so nice here…”

“…You can’t do that in your home?”

“…”, She shook her head.

The Woman sighed and shifted her weight to one leg, tapping her lower lip, as she put on a show of thinking, “Hmm… I don’t like the idea of a demon running freely.”

“…please…”

The Woman sighed again, this time in a more resigned fashion, “Alight… I’ll let you stay. I’ll be keeping an eye on you. You’d better not act too smart.”, She turned around softly, before muttering to herself, “We should probably get you something to eat… I heard being transported takes a lot out of your kind… What do demons eat again? Gah, fuck..." and she walked out of the room, continuing to mutter to herself like that. 

 

_That was odd…_

She rose on shaky legs, looking around the room. It was a small, wooden room. Ash and wax covered the floor, but there was nothing else in the room at all. She walked to the door and out into a thin hall. From the hall, she walked into a large room and frowned. She could smell blood again. She could see piles of torn flesh. Dead things. Bits of bone, cloth and hair were sticking from them. They were very dead. She hadn't seen dead things that looked so dead. Usually, they were more burned... But still... Dead thing were good for eating.

Was this place, more like Hell, than she assumed?

She wasn’t sure. The torn-up corpses in front of her seemed to suggest that. They were small beings. Around the size of that Woman. She hesitantly picked up a piece of flesh in her claws. It smelt nice…

…Very nice.

Hesitantly, she licked it, and she felt her body shiver in delight at the flavour. She pushed the piece into her mouth with both her hands and chewed it blissfully.

_Oh…! D… Delicious!!_

She quickly made her way around the room, grabbing all the pieces of flesh she could find, piling them up. The stink of blood was different from other demons, she realized, as she began to take it in. It lacked that burnt smell of sulphur and it was fresh.

So fresh…

There was a fluffy sweetness to the meat, that was alien to her. Alien, but pleasurable. She began to shovel the chunks into her mouth, joyfully.

To be able to cram food into your mouth… What bliss! What joy!

She felt her cheeks bulge with meat, as tears of joy ran down her face. The bones… The bones were soft and brittle, breaking like a thin sheet of glass in her hands. And the marrow within was aromatic and flavourful. It was sticky and thick, but she could suck it from the bones like it was liquid…

_Oh, this is… this is truly Heaven…_

She swallowed heavily, before proceeding. So much… So much flesh. Fresh meat. She had never even seen so much in one place, let alone have the chance to eat this much. She wiped the blood dribbling from her chin, before pausing for a breath and glancing down at herself.

Her belly… Was big. And round.  

She had seen other demons, with big bellies. Stronger demons. When they ate lesser demons. Like her brethren… She remembered how it was. How they caught them and swallowed them, like swallowing a grub… Except their bodies would distort, as their prey slipped down their throat…

She remembered how horrific it was.

And now… She knew how good it felt.

She gripped her belly softly and massaged it, wincing gently. She had eaten more than she had ever done, so it shouldn’t have been a surprise as to how sore her stomach felt.

Sore… and yet still so good.

She wanted more. She wanted to eat as much as she desired. She could feel the spit running down her chin.

She wanted more.

But how?

“I thought you’d enjoy this, but you’re hungrier than you looked.”, The Tan Woman with the ruffled hair strolled over the side, before squatting in front of Her, with an amused smile on her face. The Tan Woman’s hands were stained with the red, aromatic blood.

She frowned, as she stared into the Tan Woman’s smile. She could feel the world warp around them, painfully. Wood creaked and blood rippled. Shadows darkened as they fell...  
  


  
  
  


“Uh…”

“Do you have a name?”

“A… A name?”

“Yeah. Strange little things used to say what’s what or who’s who.”

“Who’s…?”

“Yeah. Like, I’m Ess. Ess Vee.”

“Ess…”

“Yeah. Do you have a name?”

“I… I don’t think so…”

“Oh, that’s a shame. I think you should have a name, if you’re gonna be around here.”

“How… How do you get a name?”

“…You know, that’s a very good question. Sometimes it’s given to you. But I prefer picking them myself. So I’d suggest you do the same. Just pick a sound that feels good.”

“A… A sound…”

“Yeah.”

She glanced down and mushed her belly softly, in thought.  _A sound…_  Her belly was sounds right now. Sounds, she had never heard before. Sounds that felt right to her body.

_Blg… Gll… Galgk… Erg…_

They all sounded nice… But,they didn’t feel ‘good’…

_Galgk… Erg… Gal… Ern…_

_Galee…?_

She glanced up, “Galee?”

Ess frowned, “Galee? That sounds incomplete… Add a bit more to the end. Like… Galena. What do you think?”

_Galena…_

“I… It sounds nice…”

Ess nodded, “Well, then you’re Galena, now.”

“Galena… I’m Galena?”

“If you want to be.”

She blinked.  _If I… want…_

Her mouth watered at the thought. Want. She wanted so much… She had wanted to eat. She wanted to sleep. She wanted to beat others into bloody pulps. She wanted to rip out chunks of flesh from those who angered her and laugh as they screamed. She wanted to ravage weaklings as she had once been ravaged… She wanted…

“I… I want to be Galena.”

Ess smiled, “Good for you.”, then Ess frowned, “But you’re going to have to become smaller. I won’t have you lumbering around my town like some dumb hulking nitwit. “

“Uh… Can… Can I eat more?”

Ess blinked, “Oh. Uh, if you’re still hungry, I can whip something up. I can make a decent pasta if you don’t mind garlic-”

“Can I… Hurt others?”

“…I guess some people would be fine.”

“I… I can sleep here?”

“Sure. I love sleep.”

Galena felt a weak smile cross her face. How rare… Two smiles in one day. That never happened before… She glanced around softly, “Where… Where are we?”

Ess followed Galena’s gaze, “Hm? Oh, well, I was thinking of building my home… Well, a sort of home-project thing. Have a few humans around for fun and food. A few of my friends in an around here. Some family. Just a place of peace and calm, y’know?”

_Peace and Calm…_

“And… C-Can I stay here?”

“As long as you don’t cause too much trouble.”

Galena gripped her body tightly, “I… I won’t.”

“I trust you won’t.”

Galena paused, before turning back to Ess, “You’re… still building it?”

“Well, it takes a bit of time to build a town.”

“Oh… I… I didn’t know.”

“Well, that’s fine.”, Ess’ eyes suddenly lit up, “Say! Lemme show you some of my plans. Having another opinion might be good for this! I always wanted to have this pit fights, but I have no idea where to put them… Oh, I should also introduce you to my family so they don't just eat you...”  
  
Galena said nothing as she followed Ess; She glanced around silently letting the words pass over her. She could see wooden frames in various clearings and she could see a few people working on them.   
_A town..._  
She had no idea what was going on. Or why she was summoned here. She didn't know who Ess was or why she was trying to build this place... She didn't know anything...  
  
She turned away from the frames and began to listen to Ess' rambles about pit-fights. If she didn't know anything... Well, it seemed like this was a good place to make a start.   
  
  
A fresh start...


	2. The Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Near her new home, Galena finds a strange cave...  
> What mysterious story does it hold?

Galena poked a small pile of dirt gently.

_How icky._

Icky. It was a new word she had learned. It fascinated her; A new word! She had no idea there were so many words. And languages! This world had so many! Some of them were dead, so Galena couldn’t learn them. She wondered why they were killed, but Ess never told her.

She glanced up from her pile of dirt and stared at Ess who was busy talking to two strange looking people. Ess looked mildly irritated and it made Galena a bit worried. She wanted to crawl into the ground and hide, but she forced herself to focus on the soil.

_Don’t bother her… Don’t bother her…_

She stared at the dirt for a few more seconds before sighing and standing up, and walking into the town, or rather, the frame of the town. There were no buildings beyond the small wooden cabin that Galena had been summoned in. There were a few structures that were supposed to become houses, but there was no one staying in them and only a few people worked on them during the day, before leaving at dusk.

It was an oddly desolate place and Galena could understand why Ess was trying to build her town here. It was cool and nice to look at, and there was no one who could hurt her or attack her or use her…

_Mountains…_

Galena had seen mountains before, but they were black and hot. These ones were proud and cool, with gentle trees that swayed in pleasant winds. Unlike the mountains in Hell, these ones almost invited you onto them.

_Caves…_

Caves in Hell were ovens. She remembered one time being trapped inside one; She had only been able to escape because a passing Negori was feeling horny and could hear her cries. These caves… were almost pulling her inside…

It was like some sort of gravity.

She strolled inside the cave, slowly. She could hear the dripping of water and she licked her lips. Water was her new favourite thing. It was so pleasant to drink and it made her body so delightfully cool.

_Maybe a spring…_

Ess had told her about springs, but Galena hadn’t seen one just yet. They were supposed to be all over these mountains...

Then she heard clinking.

A familiar sound. It made Galena stop and tremble.

It was a bad sound. A painful sound.

The Sound of Chains.

“What are you doing here?”

Galena squeaked and turned to stare at Ess; Her eyes were narrow, and her face lacked her characteristic smirk. Her expression was serious and dark as her eyes glanced around the cave softly, “How did you come here?”

“Uh… Uh… Walking?”

“Hm.”

“Am… Am I not supposed to be here?”

Ess was silent for a few seconds before patting Galena on the head as her smile re-emerged, “No. Just be careful. Come. Let’s see it.” She gestured and began to walk down the cave.

Galena blinked and hopped after Ess. She was finally going to see a water spring… Maybe it’d be a hot spring…

“Galena, have I told you why I decided to build my town here?”

“…No?”

Ess glanced back at her, “It is because this land is cursed.”

“C-Cursed?”

“Yes… It all goes back to a Queen. A powerful queen…”

“What… What was her name?”

“Hm… She does not have one.”

***

The Queen stared out at the lands before her.

Her lands.

Stretching as far as the eye could see… Farther than that.

All hers…

She smirked as she strolled away from the balcony, ignoring the sleeping male on her bed; He may have been her lover, and the father to her unborn child, but he was nothing more than a tool. He was strong and relatively smart. Not as smart as herself though.

He thought he could use her. He’d be sent to the dungeons to rot soon enough.

There had been so many who doubted her. So many who told her that she’d never succeed. That her lands would collapse under stronger and larger kingdoms.

All those who doubted her were either dead or being tortured.

Success followed success for her. After all, it was hard to fail, when the Gods sided with you.

The Queen sighed, resting herself against a table, placing her hand over her belly. Pregnancy had taken the strength out of her. Her physicians told her to relax, and she listened. But she’d have to work harder for the time lost.

“Blessings for the child.”

The Queen jumped when she heard the soft velvety voice. That terrifying voice. She turned and bowed, like a queen should never, towards the four beings before her, “My Gods…”

The one at the front smiled, “Come now. Aren’t we close enough to dispense with these pleasantries?”

The Queen nodded, raising her head to examine the four of them for the thousandth time. Despite their humanness, they moved with an unnatural grace and fluidity; like they were too perfect and were trying to make themselves less so.

Three of the Four, took the form of women.

The first stood ahead of the rest. Her short hair was sharp and curled at the edges. Her skin was tanned lightly, like the Queen’s, but her curves were distinctly more womanly. Her legs were long, and her dress flowed. She was the Eldest. Her voice was mature and deep. It felt soft like velvet, but stronger than rock.

The one on the left of the Eldest, had a more defined figure, that could only be seen as sexual. Her hips were large, her waist narrow and her breasts bulged. Her skin was darker brown, reminiscent of brown sugar. Her long hair was bright red and smooth. Her smile was kind and light. She spoke freely at the best and worst of times with a light-hearted and loving tone. She was the Second Youngest. Her name was Annaro.

The one on the right of the Eldest, had a slender figure that went against either of her sisters, but she was much taller. Her skin was pale and her hair dark. Her eyes were silent and her lips thin. She rarely spoke, and when she did, she was sombre. She was second to the Eldest. Her name was Wanda.

The Final of the Four stood behind them all. The only one in the form of man. He was young and slender, and his mind was simple. He simply followed his sisters, showering them with love and in turn, they dotted over him at ever chance. The Queen had seen them do so. His voice was thin and light, lacking force.

He had not chosen a name yet. He was only called The Male.

The Queen focused on them for a few seconds before smiling, “I thank you for your blessing.”

Annaro grinned happily, “It was the least we could do! I can’t wait to play with her!”

The Queen nodded softly.  _As if, I’d let you…_

Wanda gave the Queen a thin smile, “She will grow up strong… She will spread your name and her own to the edges of the world and worlds beyond…”

“I’m overjoyed to hear that.”

The Eldest crossed her arms softly, “I wish we could stay, but we only came to inform you that there is a rebellion brewing the north, and I like cutting the weeds early.”

The Queen frowned, “Again?”

The Male nodded softly, “Yes. The Northerners are proving to be rather stubborn. But they will soon understand that rule under you is best for all.”

The Queen smiled, “Good.”

Annaro moaned softly, “I don’t want to hurt them anymore.”

The Eldest glared at her little sister, “Hush.”

“But they think we’re going to hurt them! Can’t we talk to them and have fun?”

Wanda rolled her eyes, “We did.”

The Eldest nodded, “Indeed. You know we did. They did not listen. You know what they deserve now.”

Annaro pouted, “…yes.”

The Male touched Annaro’s shoulder, “I will play with you later. We all will. Would that make you feel better?”

Annaro grinned, “Yeah!”

“Good girl”, The Eldest patted her sister on the head gently, before turning back to the Queen, “We will meet with you again once we are done.”

And then they were gone.

The Queen let her smile fall, touching the edges of her lips. She disliked smiling for them. The more time she spent around them, the more time she grew to understand how inhuman they were. Torturing, maiming and ruining human kingdoms was child’s play to them. They did it without batting an eye lid at the destruction they were causing.

She had been lucky they did not destroy her kingdom when they came a mere ten and two years ago. They had come asking for shelter, when her own kingdom was suffering from famine and disease, pushing it the brink of collapse. She had given the four shelter when they asked, and they in return offered her a gift of what she wanted.

It had been strange; To be offered a gift from these four strange figures; Dressed in black, with tired eyes and dusty bodies. Exhaustion was visible in them. But they did not seem hostile. 

So, she told them.

She told them, she wanted her people to love her.

She wanted her kingdom to become strong.

She wanted a kingdom that would last millennia.

She wanted Power.

And so, they offered their services to her; Gods or Monsters. She did not know what they were. But they were powerful. Very, very powerful. She could sense that. So, she accepted.

She asked what they’d want in return and they responded. Wanda wanted to read. Annaro wanted to love. The Eldest wanted to learn. The Fourth made no such demand.

She granted them those gifts.

And so, they served her faithfully since.

The Queen tapped the table, as she mused on their first meeting. She had not suspected much then. She had been a desperate girl. But things had changed. Her kingdom had grown. Her people were well-off and they loved her. She had proper advisors… and she was older and wiser now, and she was wary to the deal she had made in the past.

She gave them whatever they asked for; Knowledge, Love, Literature, Arts. She offered them shelter and they accepted. She offered them food, and they declined. Their food was flesh and blood, from the battle-fields. Soldiers were their prey. The Queen had seen them feed. As grotesque and horrifying as it was, it was also mesmerizing.

She admired them. She valued their strength. And at the same time, she feared them.

Oh, she feared them.

She stepped away from the table and listened to her lover mumble softly from the bed, and she sighed softly, rubbing eyes before reaching for a small bell and ringing it.

She didn’t bother watching her guards rush in and grab the fool, who thought he could aspire for her throne. She didn’t watch as they beat him, but she listened. To his cries of pain. To the smashing of flesh. To the cracking of bone.

She listened to them dragging him away before turning back and her nose wrinkled at the trail of blood in her room. She should have told them to do it outside…

The Queen patted her belly softly, walking over the blood and out of the room. She had been uncertain about having a child; She had wondered if she’d need more in case her first born turned out… ‘bad’, but the one called Wanda washed away any doubts.

_Grow up strong and spread my name, eh?_

That plan, honestly, didn’t sound bad. But that implied that her own daughter would be running the kingdom at some point. The Queen didn’t mind that,  _but_  she wanted to control her lands for as long as she could.

She enjoyed power. After all, with power came privileges and benefits, but more importantly, there was Control. The Queen had felt helplessness. The terror of being drowned in the stream of life. She had known the fear of losing control; losing power. And she didn’t want to feel that again.

She wanted to keep the power with herself for as long as possible. She wanted to rule her kingdom until she died…

But there was the shadow looming over her.

The shadow of true power.

Those four beings.

She didn’t know what they were or where they came from. She called them “Gods”, but they were hardly close to that. They were flesh and blood, like herself. They could be hurt; physically and mentally. But they were… different. Their power was something she could not understand.

But she wanted it.

When they first came to her, it had felt like the greatest gift had landed in her lap; For the first time, things were going as they should have gone. But time had made her wary. They were not a gift, but a threat; A blade hanging over her neck, held only by a thin thread.

A single wrong move could cause that thread to snap and…

The Queen shuddered at the thought. She gripped her swollen belly, feeling the unborn child within her. She didn’t want that. Not after everything she had been through…

How terrible it was; to be caught between two undesirable options. Whichever option she took, she was at the mercy of beings who held the power of gods… Well, even if that was the case…At least, they were on her side… And she’d do whatever she had to, to keep the power as close to her-

“My Queen!”

The Queen paused as the young slave ran up to her. He seemed new. He must have been, otherwise he would have lowered his eyes as he approached her, “What is it?”

“One of your archaeologists has returned from an expedition. She carries a scroll for you.”

She felt her lips tighten, “Did she say anything else?”

“She said, that the scroll has the words you’re interested in.”

_Hmm_ … She nodded, “I see. Have some refreshments brought to her and have the scroll taken to my manuscript room. I’ll go there soon…”

“Yes, Queen.”

“And boy?”

“Yes, Queen?”

“Dress like a well-to-do young lady from now on.”

“…My Queen?”

“I’m having a daughter. I’d like to see all the young slaves in the palace, dressed well.”

“But… Queen… I’m a boy…”

“So?”

He swallowed and nodded, “Should I pass this along?”

She smiled, “Yes. To the royal tailor and to you companions. Ensure that you all are dressed well.” She paused, “And… summon the Witch to me.”

“…At once, Queen.”

She smirked to herself, before walking past him. That made her feel better. Exerting control. It always made her feel better.

*

The Queen watched the Witch toss the various bones over cloth silently. She was always doing something, but the result was supposed to be The Queen was rarely privy to.

“Witch-”

The Witch raised a long bony finger for silence as she tossed the bones again, “…My Queen…” Her voice was a soft whisper that betrayed her aged appearance.

“…Witch. I worry about my kingdom.”

“As is your duty.”

“But I fear the threat within.”

The Witch reached into her robe and extracted a root that she began to chew slowly and silently, “The Four…”

The Queen didn’t bother asking the Witch how she knew about them, even though few people beyond her military advisors knew anything about them, “Yes.”

“They are strong.”

“But I know nothing about them.”

The Witch spat on the floor before continuing to chew her root, “Hm… It is not the position of the weak to question the strong.”

“I must find a way to defend my people if they turn to a threat.”

“Your people or your power, My Queen?”

The Queen stiffened, “What do you imply, Witch?” The title was spoken with the tone of insult.

“…They are dangerous, Queen. Do not anger them.”

“They are not gods, no matter how strong they are. They are not omnipotent.”

“They are close.”

“They are flesh and blood.”

“As are you, Queen…”

The Queen clenched her jaw softly, “Will you answer my questions, or should I have put to death?”

The Witch stared before spitting again and raising three fingers, “Three questions, but speak with caution. I know your questions before you speak them, and I will leave you once you ask your third. I will not play a part in these games.”

“What are they?”

The Witch knelt down and ran her fingers, downward, through the dark spittle on the floor slowly, “They are Darkborn. Eternal and endless. Beyond everything yet less than everything.”

The Queen winced softly, “Will they harm my kingdom?”

The Witch ran her fingers, sideways, through the spittle, “The future is fluid and malleable…” She looked up, “Be careful Queen… You are not in good company.”

“…” The Queen hesitated before tensing up, “How can one get their power?”

A soft sigh escaped the Witch’s mouth as she stood up. She flicked her spit covered finger at the Queen inciting an indignant cry of anger, “Only Death... Farewell, Queen.”

*

The Queen tapped her finger angrily on the table, her eyes fixed on the flame of the candle that illuminated the scroll sitting before her. Her eyes darted from the flame to the scroll; Specifically, one word on it.

_Darkborn_

She sighed and rubbed her eyes, before hearing the door creak open softly.

“My Queen?”

The Queen glanced and stared at the woman in a bright floral robe that seemed to float as she moved, “…Advisor.”

Her Advisor glided in softly and bowed lightly, “My Queen… I’ve been looking for you.”

“Have there been any problems?”

“Not in the slightest… I merely heard that the Witch has left the palace with no intention of returning…”

The Queen narrowed her eyes, “You have a problem?”

“Not at all. I merely wondered why.”

“…” The Queen gestured towards the scroll before her, “Come here. Read.”

The Advisor frowned and strolled forward and stared at the scroll, “What’s this?”

“A document from a dead kingdom… Your suspicions were not wrong.”

“…” The Advisor’s eyes skimmed over the scroll quickly before she recited a line softly, “This line… ‘…and so, the Darkborn razed Mu; Consigning it to the soft waves, as if to comfort it as it died…’” She looked up, “Mu… The kingdom of legend… Destroyed by them?”

“Yes.” The Queen nodded softly, “There are more documents. All speak of the death of kingdoms; Ancient, powerful kingdoms that fell in unknown calamities… In all… The Darkborn are responsible.”

“So… The four are…”

“They are. It appears you all were not wrong.”

The Advisor tensed, “It is only obvious. They are dangerous creatures, Queen. Did the Witch tell you how to stop them?”

The Queen shook her head, “She only gave me three questions, and she answered in her damn enigmas… And she would not help me further.”

“You should have imprisoned her. Or tortured her for such folly.”

“Perhaps…”

“You are a Queen. You must be stronger.”

“I know!” The Queen smacked the table with her hand before wincing and grabbing her belly, as her heir began to squirm softly, reacting to her rapid heartbeat.

“My Queen…”

“I’m fine. I’m fine…” She sighed and continued to rub her belly softly, “…She told me how to obtain their power.”

The Advisor froze and inched closer, “And how?”

“…Through Death.”

“Death?”

The Queen sighed and placed a hand over her face, “She didn’t explain. Damn her riddles…

The Advisor narrowed her eyes before speaking, “My Queen… If I may offer my own suggestion… As to what she may have meant…”

*

The Male strolled into the library smoothly, “Hello, My Queen~”

The Queen paused, and then smiled at him, “Hello, Male…”, Then she frowned, “Have you still not decided on a name?”

His smile widened, “Actually, I think I’ve narrowed it down to a few. I might just decide by the end of the day!”

“How… Lovely…”

He frowned, “Is something wrong, Queen? Is it baby? Is the baby sick? Are you sick?”

“No, no… Where are you sisters?”

“Resting. Warfare is a tiring game after all.”

The Male… He was the most unusual of the four. He never fought. He watched from the side. He was quiet and peaceful. He usually dotted over his sisters, joining them in their past-times. Playing, reading, cooking, painting, dancing. But, he never joined them in battle.

“Male… I once asked you, why you never fought… Why you appear so weak… Tell me again, what you told me then.”

He paused before nodding softly, “I leave myself open to harm… I try to keep myself as close to humans as possible… I dislike fighting. I recognize when it is the only path, but I do not indulge in it, they way my sisters do.”

“Why?”

“To anchor them. To remember that there is always a better way, and the best way to do that is a constant reminder. My weakness and so I am open to harm, to ensure they are always aware to be calm.”, He chuckled softly, “My sisters are quite thick-headed, so this is one of the few ways to get through to them.”

“Is that so…”

He shrugged gently and laughed, “Sometimes I think I’m just a burden, because I am unwilling to use my power as they do. After all, Annaro is so sweet, I’m sure she could do my job for me! And my sisters might enjoy the fight, but they are good at heart. They only wish to support you, Queen.”

“Support me?”

“Hm-hm”

“…Male… You’ve not hidden yourself from my People, like your sisters have. You wandered through the cities, watching everyone. You’ve talked with them, drank with them, and lived with them… Why?”

He hesitated, “My sisters… Eldest and Wanda specifically. Sometimes, find it hard to fight for humans… We’ve seen terrible humans. Humans who’ve hurt so many others for such mundane reasons. They’re… they’re still kind but… they’ve dissociated themselves from humans to a large extent.”

“Dissociated?”

He nodded again, “I, try the opposite. I remind myself that there are good humans, and I hope to remind my sisters, that humans are much like us. My weakness further emphasises that. We only choose to be more, but we are made the same.”

“How nice of you…”, She turned away from him, staring out of a window, at her kingdom, expanding to the horizon.

“Queen…”, The Male took a step forward, placing his hand on her shoulder, “Are you sure you are fine?”

“Oh, Male…”, She placed her hand over his gently, “…What do you know… of the Darkborn?”

His hand tensed, “…Where did you hear that name?”

“That does not concern you.”

“Please, Queen. Who told you of that name?”

She sighed, “I read it.”

“You read it?”

“Yes.”

“There are… still stories that record them?”

“Them? Don’t you mean you four?”

He pulled his hand off, “Please Queen, you don’t understand. There’s more to those stories.”

“So, those stories are, of you four?

He swallowed, “Yes… but, you don’t understand-”

“Stories of evil gods that lived with us, and ruined all kingdoms they went to…”

“Queen, you must listen, those stories-”

“You’d have my kingdom perish like those before?”

“No!”

“You’d kill my child, and then myself?”

“Never! Please, Queen, listen!”

“No!”, She turned swiping his hand away from, he tried to reach for her, “I’ve feared you all for too long! I’ve given you power over me for too long! I’ve feared you all! But I accepted you! I trusted you all! I know the truth now and I will not trust those with ill intentions to my kingdom!”

“Please, you don’t-!”

“I cannot hurt your sisters… But I can hurt you…”

The Male’s eyes widened, as he stepped back, “Queen… Don’t… Don’t do this…”

The Queen stepped towards him, pulling a long knife from under her gown, “This is your own fault for trying to trick me and my people.”

“We never tricked you. Queen, we love you. We only want to help you…”

She raised her blade, “I will take your power, and use it to wipe them off the face of the earth and ensure that all civilizations are protected from you monsters!”

“Queen… I won’t fight you… But you won’t be able to take my power! You’re risking this fool’s bet against the anger of my sisters!”

The Queen shrugged as she raised her blade, “Once I have your power, they won’t matter.”

She swung down, and he ducked to the side, missing the blade, but crashing into a table. He cursed, as he slipped, trying to make it to the door, before a heavy candle-stand, smacked him in the back, knocking the wind out of him and forcing him to the ground.

The Queen was panting heavily, one hand over her belly protectively, as she advanced on the groaning Male. She wished she didn’t have to do this, while she was pregnant, but… She wasn’t going to wait and let them strike when they wanted.

She straddled the moaning figure, raising her blade above his neck, “Regret all the lives you’ve ruined, monster.”

“No-!”

She felt her blade cleave through, meat, blood and bone, as it passed through his neck, cleanly. She listened to him gag on his blood; Black blood. Her eyes widened as she saw it, pour from his body.

“You really are monsters…”

He weakly, tried to put pressure over his wound, before she pulled the knife out and his eyes bulged as the blood poured out, like a fountain. His skin quickly grew pale, as he desperately glanced back at her with pleading eyes.

She could feel her eyes reflected no pity for him, as he began to twitch weakly. She stepped away from his dying form only to kneel back by his side, feeling the blood stain her dress; She placed her hand underneath the wound, feeling the blood pool in her palm. It felt thicker than blood…

She examined the fluid closer. She had thought it was black, but it was much more. It was light the night sky, if someone had removed all the stars and planets and moons and mixed it with tar and coal and… and evil…

It was a powerful blood…

The Queen watched the Male die; It was a slow event. He struggled underneath her weight, trying to place his hand over his neck in a pathetic attempt to stop the bleeding. His skin was slowly turning white, his movements grew weaker and weaker. His eyes grew dull and his breathing laboured. The warmth that his body remained but it was a dying warmth, like a rock that had been pulled from a fire.

Then he stopped.

The Queen loosened over him and stared for a few seconds. It took longer than she had expected. Her eyes focused on the wound and the blood that was in her palm.

_Through Death…_

She took a deep breath before placing the blood to her lips and drinking, feeling her body tremble as his power began to flow into her body.

*

The Queen smiled, as the Three Sisters walked into the throne room. They had calm expressions. It made the Queen feel strange; They were trying to hide their demonic nature and she already knew it. It almost made her feel giddy.

They had no idea, they were about to die.

She grinned, rising from her throne, “My friends!”

The Eldest bowed her head gently, “My Queen. Is there a problem?”

“Do I need a reason, to summon my friends?”

Annaro beamed, “We’re friends!”

The Queen nodded, as she walked towards them, “Yes. We’re friends. You’ve helped me for so long… I can’t thank you all enough for it.”

Wanda shrugged, “ ‘S nothin’.”

The Eldest nodded in agreement with her sister, “Indeed. We only help you because we like you. We trust you.”

“Hm…”, The Queen nodded, “I trusted you too…”, She crossed her arms softly, “Which is why it makes me so sad to learn that you four were the Darkborn.”

The smiles slide from their faces. There was a confused silence between the sisters as they tried to comprehend the situation around them before The Eldest began to speak up, “… So you know?”

“Oh yes.”

The Eldest sighed softly and rubbed the back of her neck, “How much have you heard?”

“Enough.”

“Queen… I do not know what you’ve been told, but I can assure you-”

The Queen raised her hand, “I can assure you… That nothing you say will effect me. Your lies have no sway over me anymore. I am better now.”

“We’ve never lied to you, Queen” Wanda’s voice was indignant.

“I presume you never lied to the ruler of Mu.”

The Eldest nodded, “Never.”

The Queen felt her mouth twist in irritation by the simple answer, “You… Enough of this!” She raised her hand and pointed at the three of them, “You’ll leave my kingdom and if you try to exact any violence against even a single one of my subjects, I’ll destroy you!”

“But-!” Annaro began to protest before The Eldest raised her hand gently.

“We will leave, if that is what you desire.” The Eldest sighed sadly, “But you will regret it. Your military is not strong enough to supress a large insurrection and trust me when I warn you that there are a large number who still do not wish to live under your rule. Let us at least quell these dissenters before-”

The Queen snapped her fingers and wisps of darkness trailed out of the tips, with a gentle hiss.

There was a tense pause at the sudden display of power.

The Eldest’s eyes widened slightly, “What have you done?”

The Queen laughed, “I do not fear you or any insurrection you put against me. I am above them.”

Annaro began to tremble and Wanda’s mouth began to open and close softly.

The Eldest took a step forward, “What have you done?”

The Queen raised her hand, “Leave now and I won’t have to kill you!”

 

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!”

 

The scream shook the entire palace. The Queen winced at the pressure from Eldest’s voice, before she felt the words slip from her mouth, “I… I took his power.”

“Oh… Oh…”

The Eldest wobbled slightly, her hands gripping her hair as Annaro and Wanda began to sob softly.

“Brother… why… why?”

The Queen stared at the three sobbing women as they huddled against each other, with a measure of unease, “It… it was your own fault!”

The air cracked.

The Queen cried out as the room shook and she felt to the ground. She gripped her belly in a slight panic, feeling her unborn child squirm in time with her heart. She felt her blood in her ears as the light flashed.

She stared up at the three figures looming over her.

 

Wanda had tears of sadness dripping from her eyes.

Annaro had a strange expression; Like she was trying to be angry but didn’t understand it.

Eldest’s eyes cracked with lightning and fury.

 

The Queen felt her blood turn to ice, as she raised her hand, “You… You can’t hurt me!” Strands of darkness flew from her hand, towards Wanda who batted it away without even blinking, “That power is not yours…”

Annaro gritted her teeth, “We were supposed to be friends…”

The Eldest spoke with a careful, measured tone, “You have nothing now.”

 

The Queen swallowed, “No… No… I have his power… Its… its taken through death…”

 

Wanda sighed, “But it must be given freely.

Annaro spat, “The Death must be willing.”

The Eldest clicked her tongue, “The power of a Darkborn can only be truly taken by another Darkborn…”

 

_The Witch… She lied to me…_

The Queen paused; No… The witch didn’t like. She spoke in her half-truths; The way of Witches. And she warned her. She had been warned to not anger them… She swallowed and bowed her head, “Forgive-”

 

“No.”

 

All three of them spoke as one, without hesitation.

The tone almost shocked The Queen; It was devoid of any warmth or humanity. She could feel the cold hand of death reach for her heart yet being held at bay by the intensity of the three sisters.

“P-Please… It… It was my advisors… They made me doubt… Please… I’m… I’m having a child… Annaro… Didn’t you want to play-”

The once pleasant girl hissed with disgust, “I’ll eat your fucking baby.”

“W-Wanda… You said… She’d grow strong.”

Wanda merely shrugged without a word.

“You blessed her… You blessed my child”

 

“I did.” The Eldest nodded, “Now, I rescind my blessing… Like every human before yourself, you have tried to betray us… But none… None went as far as you did.”

 

“P… Please…”

 

The Eldest clicked her tongue and The Queen could feel the light vanish from her world, “He loved you humans… What a folly that was. We should’ve just stayed away from all of you…”

Wanda nodded sadly, “He asked us to feel pity. To pick a human kingdom to protect, and see the good in you all… I think it almost worked… You seemed so nice…”

Annaro spat, “Good, my ass! The one we chose, was a… a… I’ll kill you!”

The Queen screamed, as Annaro rushed forward, only to be stopped by Wanda, who caught her by her shoulder. Annaro glanced at her sister, wrath seeping through her eyes, “What’s your fucking problem?!”

“Sister says no.”

Annaro paused and turned to her Eldest sister, who was still staring at the Queen impassively, with her small dark smile, “I… I don’t care what Eldest says!”

“Sister… Says no.”

Wanda’s words carried heavy emphasis on them, and Annaro fell silent, going back to glaring at the Queen.

The Queen couldn’t breathe. She felt eh air being drawn out from her lungs. She tried to move, but she couldn’t. There was no space. She felt her body grow rigid and immobile. Her skin and breath became cold and painful, as she trembled in fear. She tried to speak, to beg for forgiveness. To do anything. Then the voices rang out from the dark.

 

“You broke our family. It will never be whole again. So, shall be your own. Your child to be unborn within you forever; Your family incomplete.”

 

“You silenced the voice of kindness and reason; The voice the pleaded for you and your people. So, you shall be. Voice muted and unspeaking for eternity.”

 

“You killed the innocent and devoured them. Do the same, until time stops. Forgotten; you are from the world, as well as any marks you made. Unknown to the world, You are no longer who you were.”

 

“You are… Xella! The Devourer!”

“Xella! The Dark Mother!”

“Xella! The Cursed One!”

 

“Xella!!”

 

“Xella!!”

 

“Xella!!!”

     

“Your name, spoken thrice and thrice again! A sound spat in hate. A stain, hiding the truth! An insult to mark you who are!! Xella!”

 

 

  
  
  


 

 

 

_A curse…_  She could feel it seep into her skin, as if rotting her away. Her body felt weak, and frail, as her knees collapsed under her own weight. The light dress she wore, felt like it was being stitched into her skin. She tried to scream, but only let out a nasally whine as her skin grew over her mouth and a shackle bound her throat. Her soft hair began to scrape against her body, like straw and needles. Her fingers felt thin and sharp, and her belly… She gripped her stomach in pain. She could feel…  _something_. Something moving inside her…

Something more than a child…

The coldness left the world, and the light returned, but it was pale and dim. She glanced around in confusion, but she could see no one. The three were gone, as if they were never there.

She rubbed her head and pushed herself to her weak legs. She felt different… Yet that didn’t seem to matter as she slowly walked through her palace. She saw no one and heard no one. It was strange. She felt an odd need to leave the palace… She wanted to see her people… those who lived in her kingdom… It was a strange feeling.

It made her feel sick in her stomach.

She encountered no one as she walked through the palace. The entire abode felt abandoned. It made her feel weak. She needed to see someone…

Stepping out of her palace, she examined her kingdom softly. The sun was rising… She could see people coming out of their homes, and she felt tears run from her eyes as she walked towards them.

Tears of sadness?

She heard gasps of shock as she approached her people. They must not recognize her… She wondered how she looked… a man approached her; A guard. He was holding a spear in one hand, and he was saying… something. She couldn’t hear him. She tried to talk, and she felt her stomach turn painfully.

He vanished in front of her, as she blinked. She felt herself frown in confusion. Where did he go? What was going on?

She felt one of her hands touch the place her mouth was and the flavour of blood stung her. What was this?

She could see people running away from her, screaming, but she still couldn’t hear them, or what they were saying. What was happening? She reached out for one of the fleeing people, and paused at the sight of her hand; Black sleeves, with long claw like fingers… that wasn’t her hand…

She walked towards a woman cowering in fear at a store, and she tried to speak again, and like the Guard, the woman vanished without a trace. What was happening?

…her body felt heavy…

She glanced down and stared at her stomach; a large, quivering mass of black flesh, gurgling softly as something moved within. She placed one hand over it and felt the vibrations. Fingers pushing, nails clawing. Voices screaming…

Ah… Ah! AH!

She gripped her hair in panic. No! No, no no! She glanced around wildly at her fleeing subjects. She wasn’t doing this! It wasn’t her fault! She glanced at several guards who were advancing on her with spears. She tried to speak; tell them about her curse.

She watched them all vanish, and her stomach grew heavier.

She felt her body move against her will, dragging the weight of her belly with inhuman ease as she followed her subjects. She watched a man vanish. Then a woman. Then a family. Then a group of friends. Then another family.

She felt her tears leaking from her face. Even as they screamed, she couldn’t hear them… Yet she could hear something.

 

Xella.

 

They were screaming of her. Fearing her.

Running from her.

And all she could do was watch, as she ate them.

*

Xella laid motionless in the dirt, gripping her belly as it gurgled softly. Her mind was numb and half-dead as the panic of her people ran through her mind, again and again.

She ate them… Men, women, children… All of them…

It felt so terrible… She gripped her stomach and let out a wordless wail of pain. It hurt so much… but her hunger… It was only growing… It wasn’t stopping…

“What do we do with her now?” Wanda’s voice was soft and sad, “Her kingdom is dust. No one will remember it or her.”

The Eldest said nothing. Her back was turned to all of them and her arms were crossed.

“We should fucking eat her.” Annaro spat, leering close, “Let her know how brother felt when she fucking ate him.”

“…No.” The Eldest shook her head, “We’re… We’re going to leave her here.”

“What?” Annaro’s voice was layered with disbelief, “She-!”

“We’ve done enough. I don’t want to deal with her anymore…” The Eldest rubbed her face, “We should just leave her…”

“No, I want to-!”

“Annaro!”

The sudden shift in tone made them all fall silent. Xella could see Annaro’s face harden, “Fine.” She turned and began to walk away.

The Eldest frowned, “Hey, what-”

“You won’t let me eat her. So, I’m going to eat the rest of humanity. I’m going to go after them, nice and slow… I’m gonna torture all of them until I got nothing left in my body. And I’m not going to let you or anyone stop me…” The dark grin and madness in her golden eyes made Xella whimper in fear.

“Annaro, don’t-”

The Eldest didn’t have a chance to finish her sentence. Annaro was gone.

“Sister…” Wanda’s voice was heavy.

“We… We have to find her. We can’t…”

“Sister… I’m leaving too.”

“What?”

Wanda nodded softly, “I… I need to mourn.”

“We can mourn together! We have to!”

She shook her head, “I can’t. It hurts to be with you. I suspect Annaro feels the same… at least, in her own way.”

The Eldest gripped Wanda’s shoulders, “You can’t leave me! Please!”

“…I’ll come back to you someday… I hope.”

Then she was gone.

The Eldest fell to her knees in the dirt beside Xella silently. No words passed between them; No words could pass between them.

There was only silence in the dead waste around them.

***

Ess fell silent and Galena blinked, “What happened after that?”

“Hm?” Ess blinked and fell into thought, “Xella remained cursed… Forever and ever.”

“But… What about the sisters?”

“…That’s a story for another time.” Ess raised her hand, “Wait here… Ana!”

The darkness within in the cave was motionless for a few seconds before a woman hopped out; She moved with a surprising spryness and burning energy, which shocked Galena greatly when she noticed the roundness of her belly. The Woman had bright red skin, much like many demons, but her aura was not one of demonic energy but something similar.

The Red Woman smiled revealing bright teeth and opened her arms for a hug, “Ess! It’s been too long!”

Ess nodded, not responding to the request for an embrace, “Yes… How is she?”

The Red Woman’s smile shrank slightly, “She lost her mind after her first hundred years. I suppose it was either that or she learn to embrace herself, which she clearly wasn’t going to do.”

“Hmm…”

“I don’t think she remembers any of you.”

Ess nodded again, “…Let me see her.”

The Red Woman blinked before nodding, “Sure… You wanna bring the lil’ demon along?”

“If she wants to come.” Ess proceeded into the cave with the Woman. Galena hesitated for a second before bounding after them.

The sound of the chains grew louder and louder… Galena could hear a gentle moaning from within, that was being muffled by the chains. It was an unsettling sound.

There was a dull glow emanating from the walls; Some sort of tiny fungus was letting off some light. It was very errie, but it allowed Galena to barely see the things before her.

Another woman; The source of the sounds from within the cave. Her entire body was black; As black as the night. Her face was featureless, barring two sad, white eyes. Her hair was long and sharp and her hands were the same. She was wearing a filthy dress, that looked like something she had been wearing for decades, if not longer. She was bound with thick chains to a pile of rocks that resembled a large throne. It was an odd sight.

Ess approached the Black Woman, “Hello Xella…”

“Uhh…”

“Do you remember me?”

“Uh…”

Ess sighed softly, “I suppose your human mind wasn’t supposed to live for this long… Or be exposed to the things you’ve seen…”

“… Ana…”

“Oh.” Ess had an amused look on her face, “What’s this?”

“Er…” The Red Woman, Ana, rubbed her head, “She’s… kinda attached to me?”

“How sweet.”, Ess reached out and touched Xella’s cheek, “…I want you to know I still hate you. With every fibre of my being, I hate you. But… I feel sorry for you.”

Galena watched as Ess slowly began to undo the chains that bound Xella to her throne of rocks. Ana frowned, “Are you sure about this?”

Ess nodded, “Yes.”

“…Should I still keep her on my watch?”

“If it wouldn’t trouble you.”

Ana snorted, “She’s only trouble.” Despite her words, she moved over to Xella and helped her stand up from the throne.

Ess dropped the chains to the side and touched Xella’s cheek again, “I certainly hope that your future actions won’t anger me again… For both our sakes.”

“Uh…” Xella blinked before huddling closer to Ana.

Ana patted Xella a few times, “What do we do now?”

Ess smiled and turned around, towards the cave mouth, “Whatever you feel like. That’s what I’m doing… Let’s talk again soon, Ana.”

Galena watched Ana bow her head slightly as Ess began to walk away before she began to follow her. She wasn’t sure what to make of everything that she had been told and what had happened.

“…Ess?”

“Yes, Galena?”

“I thought there was supposed to be a water spring in here.”

Ess blinked and glanced at her, “What gave you that idea?”

 


End file.
